Ceiling for car roofs



April 4, 1939. .1. F. COMEE 2,153,074

CEILING FOR GAR Hoops Filed Aug. 25, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVEN TOR JOSEPH F. COMEE ATTORNEYS 2 Sheets-Shee J. F. COMEE CEILING FOR CAR ROOFS Filed Aug. 23, 1937 April 4, 1939.

INVENTOR JOSEPH F.COMEE ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 4, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE mesne assignments,

to Standard Railway Equipment Manufacturing Company, a corporation of Delaware Application August 23, 1937, Serial No. 160,531

4. Claims.

The invention relates to ceilings fior railway cars and more particularly to constructions adapted for application to railway freight cars. It is the object of the invention to obtain'V a` simple construction of self-supporting ceiling which may be easily applied to the car, and to this end the invention consists in the construction and method of applying the same as hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a cross section through the roof oi a railway car showing my improved construction of ceiling;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section taken in the plane of the ridge;

Figures 3 and 4 are cross sections at the eaves showing slightly modified constructions;

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing another modification;

Figures 6, '7 and 8 are enlarged views of portions of Figures 5, 1 and 2 respectively.

My improved construction. of ceiling comprises essentially a series of flexible panels, each of which extends completely across the car and is arched to more or less conform to the pitch of the roof. These panels are preferably centrally supported by hangers located at the ridge and also have abutment supports adjacent to eachside plate. Any suitable material may be used for forming these panels, but I preferably employ ply board which is comparatively thin and has suflicient flexibility to form the arch. The panels are further reenforced by strips secured thereto and on the upper side thereof, said strips extending both longitudinally and transversely of the roof.

As shown in detail in Figures 1 and 2, A is a metallic car roof which, as illustrated, is of the two-plane type formed of roong sheets extending from eaves to eaves and secured to the side plates B. These are shown as of Z-bar cross section with an inwardly rounded upwardly extending flange B to which the sheets are directly attached. C is a wooden lining for the sides of the car, which extends upward adjacent to the flange B. My improved ceiling comprises panels D which are arched beneath the roof A, their opposite ends being engaged with grooves C in the lining C. At the center of this panel is a longitudinally extending purline or ridge member comprising separate strips E and E arranged respectively above and below the panel and secured thereto. At suitable points, preferably at each seam between the roofing sheets of the roof A are located hangers F, these being (Cl. S-5.2)

shown as formed of sheet metal having a portion extending into the seam of the roof and secured by rivets F. Below the roof these hangers have angle flanges F2 which are secured to the ceiling by bolts F3, preferably welded thereto f and extending through the ridge purline strips E and E. In addition to the ridge purline E, one or more additional purlines G are arranged between the side plates and the ridge. There are also reenforcing strips H which extend transversely of the roof from side to side. These reenforcing strips together impart sufficient rigidity to the ceiling to hold the same in shape under the stresses to which it is subjected during service. The panels may be nailed to the reenforcing strips E, G and H, and by clinching the ends of the nails over the upper faces of the strips, they will be held from disengagement. Joints between successive panels of the series are held closed by certain of the strips H which bridge the joint and to which the adjacent panels are nailed.

The construction may be modified to suit various car constructions. Thus, as shown in Figure 3, a wooden strip I, distinct from the lining C, is arranged above the latter, and is secured to the side plate B by bolts J. This strip I is grooved at I to receive the edge portion of the panel. In Figure 4 another modification is shown, where a pair of metal strips K, K are directly riveted to the side plate B, the upper ends of said strips being turned inward and spaced to form a groove for receiving the ceiling panel therebetween. In Figure 5, instead of using a ridge purline, purlines L are spaced upon opposite sides of the ridge and purlines L are arranged near the eaves. These purlines are supported by hangers M which have portions extending upward into the seam of the metallic roof, and angle flanges M in the portions below the roof to which the purlines are attached by bolts N. Instead of ply board, thicker material may be used for this construction and the opposite ends may overlap the side lining C. The ceiling may be nailed or otherwise secured to the purlines L and L'.

In installing the ceiling, the flexible panels may be first bowed downward so as to permit of easily engaging the opposite ends thereof with the groove C or other abutments. The curvature of the panel may then be reversed by progressively pressing it upward, the material being sufciently exible to permit of this operation. Thus, the labor of installation is greatly reduced over that of an ordinary ceiling and moreover,

the arch formed will render the ceiling self-supporting, independent of any intermediate attachment that it may have to the roof. The width of the panels may, if desired, be equal to that of a plurality of roong sheets, and. a plurality of said panels may be secured to each other before installing the same in the car. To strengthen the joint between adjacent panels, the purlines preferably extend beyond one edge and terminate a corresponding distance short of the opposite edge. This will make an overlapping construction which, when the purlines are clamped to the panels, will impart substantial rigidity to the structure.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a car, a ceiling comprising a series of arched panels of flexible resilient material having a relatively high resistance to compression stresses extending continuously from side to side beneath the roof, supporting end thrust receiving abutments for the opposite ends thereof, a reinforcing purline for said panels extending longitudinally of the car intermediate said abutments, and hangers depending from the roof for supporting said purline, said panels being suilciently exible and resilient to be capable of reverse bowing while in engagement with said abutments.

2. In a car, a ceiling comprising a series of arched panels of exible resilient material having a relatively high resistance to compression stresses extending continuously from side to side beneath the roof, supporting end thrust receiving abutments for the opposite ends thereof, a

ridge purline for reinforcing the center of said arched panels, and hangers depending from the rof for supporting said purline, said panels being sufficiently flexible and resilient to be capable of reverse bowing while in engagement with said abutments.

3. In a car, a ceiling comprising a series of arched panels of flexible resilient material having a relatively high resistance to compression stresses extending continuously from side to side beneath the roof, grooved end thrust receiving abutments for engagement with the opposite ends of said panels when bowed downward, said panels being sufficiently flexible to permit of receiving the bowing without disengagement from said grooves, and means for supporting said panels from the roof intermediate the ends thereof.

4. In a car, a ceiling comprising a series of arched panels of ilexible resilient material having a relatively high resistance to compression stresses extending continuously from side to side, grooved abutments on the sides of the car for engagement with the opposite ends of said panels when bowed downward, said panels being sufciently flexible` to permit of the reverse bowing of the same without disengagement from said grooved abutments, hangers depending from the roof for limiting the upward bowing of said panels While the opposite ends thereof are in engagement with said grooved abutments, and

means for securing said panels to said hangers.

JOSEPH F. COMEE. 

